Decorative window grilles



Oct. 28, 1969 R. l. MARTIN 3,474,587

DECORATIVE WINDOW GRILLES Filed July 14, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2f W (if W y Oct. 28, 1969 DECORATIVE WINDOW GRILLES Filed July 14, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ff f3.1-'

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ATTO R N EY United States Pate-nt O 3,474,587 DECORATIVE WINDOW GRILLES Robert I. Martin, Mount Joy, Pa., assignor to Rimar Manufacturing, Inc., Manheim, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 14, 1967, Ser. No. 659,270 Int. Cl. E06b 3/ 68; E04f 19/00 U.S. Cl. 52,-456 1 Claim ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A decorative window grille for placement over the glass in a metal window sash including a plurality of interconnected vertical and horizontal bars and readily disengageable pin connections atiixing the bars to the sash.

This invention relates to the general field of residential building materials and more particularly is directed to decorative window grilles of the interlocking plastic bar type adapted for use over glass window panes retained in aluminum or other metallic sash.

It has been found that considerable saving of manufacturing costs may be realized in the construction of windows by utilizing a single pane of glass peripherally held within the sash in lieu of the former practice of employing four, six or eight individual lights of glass, all individually retained by additional muntin bars. By utilizing a single pane of glass, all of the millwork or metalwork formerly required to manufacture the multilight type of window can be eliminated and thus result in substantial production savings. The instant invention finds particular utility in those installations wherein it is desired to employ insulated glass in multi-pane assemblies. It is the present practice to utilize a plurality of panes of insulated glass retained in any well-known manner between iixed window bar members which are secured to the window sash. Such construction combines the advantages of thermal qualities of insulated glass with the pleasing aesthetic appearance of a multi-light sash. However, the disproportionate expense of this type of manufacture usually outweights the advantages and such designs are not economically feasible in most instances. By employing the instant removable window bar assembly, a single large pane of insulated glass can be utilized and then the decorative grille can be applied. In this manner, the former high manufacturing cost of producing sash equipped with a plurality of small panes of insulated glass can be greatly reduced without sacrificing insulating qualities, while at the same time achieving substantially the same pleasing appearance.

It should further be noted that not only are initial installation economies made possible by employing the instant decorative grille, as above set forth, but also, continuing savings to the home owner can be realized through the years by reducing painting costs at the windows through the elimination of the usual inter-medial muntin bars. ln accordance with the present practice, each individual window bar must be painstakenly painted with the utmost care to prevent paint from being also applied to the glass. By employing the invention herein described, window bar painting can he entirely eliminated.

The instant invention offers advantages to the ultimate new home buyer in that initial purchase costs canbe minimized by the use of low-cost, single pane windows at the time of construction. After the customer has purchased the house, he could then select a decorative grille pattern to suit his individual taste and thus inexpensively decorate the house in accordance with his individual desires.

lOther workers in the field have provided decorative 3,474,587 Patented Oct. 28, 1969 grilles constructed of both wood and plastic bars to solve the problem with greater and lesser degrees of success. Some of the prior art designs were subject to warping, and after relatively short periods of time, became unserviceable, unsightly and unstable in use. The method of fastening the decorative bars to the window sash has always proved to be a problem and considerable time and effort has been spent to provide an acceptable solution. Prior workers have employed end supported spring clips, telescoping, spring biased grippers, sliding pins and other more or less complicated and expensive arrangements with some degree of success. However, no one has been able to successfully adapt the decorative type of window grille to metal sash Windows.

Itis therefore an object of the instant invention to provide an improved decorative grille of the type set forth.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a decorative window grille which can be readily installed upon and removed from a window sash.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a decorative window grille featuring unique sash fastening means for installation upon metallic window frames.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a decorative window grille incorporating internal construction to prevent relative movement between the cornponents.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a decorative window grille permitting the economical utilization of insulated glass in simulated muti-light window installations.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a decorative window grille incorporating rigid and nonrigid internal b'ar movement preventing construction.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a decorative window grille of various configurations which may be readily interchanged to alter the appearance of a window opening.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a decorative window grille that is inexpensive in manufacture, rugged in construction and trouble-free when in use.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention will be had by referring to the following description and claim of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing the invention installed on a window.

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded detail view of the connection between the grille and the window construction.

FIG. 4 is a modified connection similar to FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, cross sectional illustration showing the connection of the vertical and horizontal members.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified metal dowel in position to join two plastic members.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged elevational view of two members joined together, said members being shown in cross section to expose the interior construction details.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged elevational view of an end of a metal dowel.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross sectional View taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 7, looking in direction of the arrows.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged elevational view of a joint, partly broken away to expose the interior construction.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken through a sash and pin positioning tool.

FIG. l2 is a bottom perspective view of a pin positioning tool.

- Although specific terms are used in the following description for the sake of clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to the particular structure of my invention selected for illustration in the drawings and are not intended to define or limit the scope of t-he invention.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. l a window frame retaining a window sash 12 therein. Secured in the sash 12 is a single pane of glass 14 which may be secured in any well-known manner. When the sash is fabricated from metal, such as aluminum, the glass 14 may be peripherally retained therein by a hard vinyl strip 16 in the usual manner. It is -a major function of the instant disclosure to teach a method and apparatus for removably attaching a decorative grille to the vinyl retaining strip.

As best seen in FIG. 1, the decorative grille comprises a series of vertical members or rods 18 interconnected to form a unitary assembly by joining a horizontal member or rod 20. It will be appreciated that the invention is equally applicable to a multitude of designs such as colonial light or old English diamond lights utilizing the principles herein discussed, and all such designs are deemed to be within the scope of this invention. The rods 18 are provided with longitudinal, axially aligned, central bores 50. The pins 22 are a press fit therein and serve to connect adjoining members. To form the junction between the upper and lower vertical rods 18 and the horl zont-al rod 20, a plurality of spaced holes S4 are vertically drilled through the rod 20 at the axial location of each joint. The holes 54 are drilled to the same diameter as the connecting pins 22 to assure a tight-fitting, durable connection. Similarly, the diameter of the pins 22 substantially equals the diameter of the bores 50 to provide -a permanent, tight junction.

I prefer to fabricate the rods 18, 20 from white styrene plastic because of the durability of this material, its flexibility, its resistance to moisture and sun and its pleasing appearance after installation. It should be noted that the material is maintenance free and requires no painting or other preservative coating. The rods 18, 20 may be symmetrically formed in cross section to permit reversibility on the job if required.

The rod 20 is provided with a longitudinal, axially aligned, central bore 52 which receives the attaching pin -56 as hereinafter more fully set forth. In the case of aluminum sash, the grille asembly, comprising the joined vertical and horizontal rods, 18, 20 must be removably fastened to the hard vinyl strip 16. To accomplish this attachment, the grille may first be applied to the Window and the exact medial location of the end of each rod can then be marked on the vinyl strip 16, as by a pencil. A

within the bores 50, 52 when pressed therein and a pointed end `62 extending beyond the ends of the rods 18, 20. The pin ends 62 respectively seat within the peripherally spaced holes S8 and thus serve to attach the decorative grille to the metal sash. In FIG. 4, I show a modified attaching pin 64 wherein the attaching end 66 may be bluntly formed. The exposed portions of the pins 64 insert within the peripheral holes 58 to join the grille to the sash 12. By employing the invention above set forth, a single glass window can be made to take on the appearance of an expensive type of multi-pane window without having the initial installation expense. In order to install the decorative grille, the rods 18, 20 may be fiexed and bent as necessary to insert all of the attaching pin ends 62 or 66 within the respective holes S8. The natural resiliency of the material biases the rods back to their original, straight form, and further serves to retain the decorative grille within the sash.

In the case ofwooden sash, peripherally spaced collar pins 24 may be hammered partially into the Wooden sash 12 in aligned relation to the ends of the bars 18, 20 and then the ends of the respective bores 50, 52 can be engaged upon the exposed ends of the said collar pins. Each collar pin 24 is fabricated in any well-known manner of brass, aluminum or galvanized steel and comprises a cylindrical body which supports a radially extending collar 30. A pointed insertion end 26 may be driven into the sash 12 with a. hammer or similar instrument up to the co1- lar thereby leaving exposed the blunt end 28 for receiving the respective bores 50, 52 of the horizontal and vertical rods 18, 20. In order to facilitate the proper spacing of the pins 24 from the glass 14 to assure proper engagement of the bores 50, 52, I have provided spacing tool 70, which may be a rectangular block of wood. As seen in FIGS. ll and 12, the tool 70 is provided with a bottom opening 72 which is sized to receive the blunt end 28 of the collar pins 24. The tool is fabricated of square cross section and the opening 72 is centrally positioned so that the distance 76 between the opening 72 and any side 74 is equidistant. By constructing the distance 76 equal to the distance from one edge 78 of a vertical or horizontal member to the center of a bore 50, 52, the tool may be conveniently utilized to positively position the pin 24 in the sash 12 to readily receive the bores 50, 52 of the rods 18, 20. As can best be observed in FIG. ll, the pin 24 is placed in the opening 72 and one edge 74 of the tool is then placed against the glass 14. By striking the top of the tool with a hammer, the force of the hammer blow can be applied to the pin 24 at the collar thereof and the pin is thus driven into the ash 12 up to the collar 30. It is thus seen that a speedy and accurate method of setting the pins 24 has been provided.

In FIGS. 6-10, I show detailed views of a connecting pin 44 wherein the ends have been cut to provide blunt points 38 for ease in insertion into the hollow interior 40 of the rods 18. In the point fabricating operation, a fin or flashing 42 normally remains as a result of the process. These ns may be removed by a tumbling operation to provide a completely cylindrical pin 22 as shown in FIG. 5 or preferably, only a portion of the fin should be removed so as to provide a fin 42. that radially rises slightly above the cylindrical surface of the pin itself. By fabricating the rod interior opening to substantially the same diameter as the diameter of the pin itself, it will be appreciated that the fin 42 Will cut slightly into the plastic mate-rial of the rod 18 as the rod and pin are pressed together. As can best be observed in FIG. 9, the action of the metal fins 42 cutting into the softer plastic material of the rods serves to assure an extremely tight and reliable joint. Further, in view of the configuration of the ns, this construction serves to prevent the twisting or squirming of the rod 18 relative to the pin 44. The adjacent mating ends 46, 48 terminate in cooperating corresponding configurations to provide -a tight, twist resistant joint when the members 20, 20 are pushed together along the pin 44. It is thus seen that the pin 44 finds utility both in joining contiguous horizontal members (FIG. 7) and in connecting vertical members through a horizontal rod (FIG. 10).

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

l1. A decorative window grill for use in a metallic window assembly including a frame having a peripheral, inwardly facing, metallic, upstanding ange, a single pane of glass resting against the said flange and retained thereagainst by a non-resilient glazing bead mounting on ythe said frame in abutting relation with the peripheral margin of the said pane of glass to thereby retain the glass within the frame, the combination of (A) a plurality of interconnected, longitudinally flexible, decorative grill rods,

(l) said rods terminating outwardly in frame connecting ends, and

(2) the said grill rods being axially drilled to provide an axially aligned bore at each respective frame connecting end;

(B) an attaching pin associated with each said frame connecting end,

( 1) a portion of each said pin projecting outwardly from its respective frame connecting end,

(2) a portion of each said pin inserted respectively within the said axial bore and being securely retained in stationary relation therein so that there is no relative movement between the said pins and the connecting ends of the said grill rods,

(3) the said non-resilient glazing bead being peripherally punched to provide a plurality of grill retaining holes positioned to receive the said attaching pins,

(a) the said pins inserted within the said holes to aix the decorative window grill in position ove-r the pane of glass, and

(b) the longitudinally exible construction of the grill rods serving to facilitate applying the pins within the said holes and further serving to maintain the position of the said pins within the said holes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/ 1901 Hieronymus.

8/ 1963 Burnett 52-456 XR 5/1964 Leeser 52-456 XR 9/1967 Krieger 52-456 3/ 1968 Engstrom 52-456 10/1963 Tate 52-311 O KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

